Dante (Blood Brothers Book 5) (4 page)

“I think everyone has already been introduced and
—
”

“Ahem.” Isis
cleared her throat to remind him of his manners.

Dante couldn’t keep the smile from tilting his lips. “I beg your pardon, Isis. Everyone, this is Isis Vasquez, a good friend to Pack Kyriakis. She’s here to offer her assistance and incidentally has some information that might be of some use to us.”

Romeo stood. “Any
details
you can give us will be appreciated. The children’s lives depend on it. If I could just get them
back—
” He broke off,
his voice clouded with emotion
.
The last time Dante had ever seen his brother Romeo come this close to crying was when he was a child. Seeing him break down like this broke Dante’s heart.

A teary-eyed Christine wrapped her arms around Romeo’s waist
as she
rested her head against his chest. ” They’ve been through so much already,” she whispered.
“But we have to hold on to hope that they’ll
be
okay until they’re rescued.”

“We’ll find them.” Romeo dropped a kiss on top of her head, although uncertainty shadowed his expression.

Dante
gently touched Isis’s arm ignoring the slight spark
as
he made contact.
“Go ahead and share what you know.”

Isis wrung her hands in front of he
r and bit her bottom lip. “I
understand you’ve recently learned the Serpent Gang is somehow involved in the children’s disappearance. I…um, used to be friends with a member of that group and know a little about how they function and some of their hangouts.”

Nico narrowed
his gaze
. “
You’re a shifter.
From my understanding, they keep to their own.”

“I said I was friends with a member, not one myself, and some years back
,
I didn’t realize how ruthless the Serpent Gang actually was. I knew of them mostly through my friend.”

“How did you get tangled up with this frie
nd of yours in the first place?” Nico countered.

Isis released a deep breath. “It just happened, I suppose. Why does anyone become friends?”

“She’s right. My best friend is a vampire and we became friends while I was still human.
You could call that an odd pairing but this room is full of vampires, shifters and warlocks
,
and all friends.
” Christine chimed in. “I’m much more interested in hearing what she has to say about the Serpent Gang
so we can find the children
.”

Dante nodded. He’d ask questions about her association later. “You’re right, Christine. Please continue, Isis.”

Isis granted him a grateful smile. ”Thank you, Dante.” She paused for a moment to look around the room before beginning again. “My friend was a high-ranking member of the gang, so I learned some pertinent info through him. I’m sure most of you are already aware of their reputation. They hate all weaker beings, mainly humans. At one time, they had even aligned themselves with another rogue organization to wipe out humans, but they abandoned that course when the Council stepped in to stop them.
That was
,
of course
,
long before the Council became corrupt. Anyway, I severed ties with my friend when he and his crew got tangled up in something far too dangerous for my taste.” She
paused, and ran the tip of her tongue over her lips. Isis glanced in
Dante’s
direction as though silently asking his permission to continue.

Dante
nodded his encouragement.

“A vampire by the name of
Il Demonio
promised them great power
which
turned out to be some form of black magic. It made the members of the Serpent Gang incredibly strong and more powerful, but this magic was only temporary. When it started to wear off, they’d go through withdrawal. Their eyes would turn bloodshot red. It was a terrifying sight. Once I even came upon one of their ceremonies. It was being led by a woman in a hooded cloak. When I saw what was going on, I could
n’t
continue my association with them. They were doing the bidding of
Il Demonio
in order to get their next fix
. It’s probably what he’s using to keep the Serpent Gang under his command. I’ve never actually seen him, but I’ve heard the name whispered on quite a few occasions. I know of several of their hiding places. Some are here in the US, and there are a handful in Europe, a couple in South America, and one that I know of in West Africa.”

“Would you be able to pinpoint these locations exactly? Specifically, where we could find a member by the name of Sidewinder?”

Isis nodded. “He’s second in command. He has a place in L.A., but his home base is in Vegas. I would imagine he would most likely be at the latter if he’s the one holding the hostages. He has a modest compound, but large enough to house a number of people.”

“It’s still possible they could be anywhere,” Marco mused. “If you were to tell us of all the hideouts you can remember, I think we can go through each of them in teams.”

“Good idea, Marco,” Dante agreed. “Does anyone have any objections?”

The occupants of the room remained silent. “Good. Marco, I’d like you to take George and Steel with you. Ro
meo
, you go with Wolf and Aries. Nico, Cutter, Blade, and Theo. And I’ll go with Paris and Isis. Sasha, Maggie, and Christine will stay behind and serve as the line of communication between the teams.” Dante knew each group would have their work cut out for them. If Isis’s information proved correct, they should have the children back in no time, but if it wasn’t, she had a lot of explaining to do.

Chapter Three

Adonis
ended the call on his phone
and slipped it into his pocket
. He couldn’t keep the grin from curving his lips. But then again, he didn’t want to.
Everything was falling into place. The Grimaldi clan
was playing right into his hands. He expected them to catch up with
him
soon enough and that was when he’d have the revenge
he’d sought for so many years.
He’d make his
brothers
watch their loved ones die first and then he’d kill them, but not without torturing them first.

The help he’d enlisted was expendable. He could keep them in line with the spell
Beatrice
had cast on them. They believed he’d give them a power so great they’d be invincible
—
the fools. Once he achieved his objective, he might just kill them all
for the hell of it
.
They were just the hired help.
His true
disciples lay in wait, ready to take out the Grimaldis upon his command.

“Good news?”
Beatrice
approached him from behind.

If he were jumpy, Adonis might have
leap
t
at her sudden appearance, but he was so used to her moving silently
,
her comings and goings barely fazed him. “Yes.
Apparently
they’ve figured out who’s holding their offspring, not that it will matter when I and my army finally strike.”

“Good. Once they are out of the way, nothing will stop us from ruling the immortals of this world. No one will be able to stop m
—
us.” She stroked her chin. “I noticed crow’s feet in
the mirror this morning. I’
ll need to make another sacrifice soon to restore my beauty.”

Adonis
groaned internally
.
He knew her well enough to realize when she was fishing for a compliment but
he
gave it to her nonetheless.
“
Beatrice, you’r
e already beautiful.
Perhaps
,
you should have killed GianMarco’s stepdaughter when you had the chance. I’m sure she would have given you the essence you required.
”

Beatrice pursed her lips and glared in his direction
. “
I needed her alive to get into the house. Besides, the ritual would have taken more time than we had. I couldn’t perform it and get those brats out of the house before my masking spell wore off.” She walked to the wall on the other side of the room to look into the wall mirror, her favorite pastime.

She tilted her face from side to side, examining every angle. “
If you would have allowed me to use your whore while she was still human, I wouldn’t have had to make so many sacrifices to m
aintain my looks. Though I loathe admitting it, that arrogant bitch’s face is nearly as perfect as mine
. I
’ll
just sacrifice the human child. She’s young, but I have seen into her aura, and it promises great beauty, perhaps even more so than your slut.”

“
Beatrice
,” Adonis growled. “
Nya is no
whore.
I’m
the only one she’s lain with since I made her.”

Beatrice smirked at him through her reflection
. “
Such a passionate defense.
Do you believe she cares for you, Adonis?
Because from where I stand, I see nothing but contempt when she looks at you.
No woman will ever love you as I have, or do.” She
finally abandoned the mirror to stand in front of him. She
placed
her small
hands against his chest and stood on tiptoe to place a kiss against his jaw line.

“No.”
Adonis turned his head away from her questing lips
. T
hat familiar nauseous feeling bubbl
ed
with
in the pit of his stomach.

Beatrice narrowed her eyes to jade slits
. “
Why not?
You never used to turn away from me.
Let’s do this for old time’s sake
?” She moved her hand down the center of his chest, not stopping until it clutched his c
ock
.

Adonis pushed her away with more force than he intended, sending her sprawling back
ward
to land on her ass. “I said no
!
We made a deal years ago
,
we wouldn’t do this anymore.”

She was back on her feet again, her features twisted with annoyance. “
Have you
forgotten I was the only one there for you when you had no one
?
Everyone turned their backs on you. Don Giordano couldn’t get rid of you fast enough. The man who called himself your papa wanted nothing to do with you. Even your traitorous brother thwarts your every turn.
Bastardo!
And look at that
puttana
you bring to your bed.
She’s probably plotting against you as we speak, yet you keep her around and defend her as if she’s worthy.
I
’ve
have been the one in your corner from the beginning, yet it is I who you deny.”

Adonis balled his hands into fists at his sides. “
Don’t pretend you didn’t use me to get what you want
ed
. Were it not for me, those village idiots would have burned you at the stake for being a witch.
I’ve
been the
one to lure those women to you, making it possible for you
to fawn in the mirror every day and not see one single wrinkle. By rights you should be dead, so don’t dare try to guilt me into bending to your will. It won’t work.”

Tears brimmed in her eyes and her lower lip quivered.
“But
,
I’m the only one who truly loves you.”

Adonis folded his arms across his chest
unimpressed by her theatrics
. “The only one you love is yourself. When I have my revenge on those bastards,
we’ll go our separate ways.”

Beatrice
’s eyes widened. She rushed over to him and cupped his face
between her palms
. “No! You can never be finished with me.” Pressing her lips against his in a long, hard, desperate kiss before pulling away, she shot him an angry glare. “
He
didn’t want you. He left you for dead in order to live with his whore and those brats. When you begged him for help, he turned you away. And now
you plan
to do the same thing to me
.
” She took a step back and smacked him across the face with
the back of her hand. “You’re
weak! You are nothing! You are just like your father. Like
them
.”

All the old
rage and scorn roaring inside him boiled to the surface. Adonis yanked
Beatrice
against him and ground his lips over hers, giving her all the ire, pain, and darkness within him.

She clung to him, seeming to revel in the force of his temper.
Beatrice
tore her mouth away from his with a chuckle. “That’s it. This is the man I know, the one who will make all of them pay.”

“Yes,” Adonis groaned. “I’ll make them all pay.”

<><><>

“
I’ve never flown on anything this grand
.” Isis took in the
opulence
of her sur
roundings, from the plush, cream leather seats, to
all the amenities one could dream of.
Paris and Dante seemed to take all these perks, which she was in awe of,
in stride
.

“The novelty will wear off after a while.” Paris yawned
from across the aisle
, stretching his limbs and closing his eyes.

Dante chuckled. “Says the man
born with a silver spoon in his mou
th. Your grandfather Spyros
made his first billion long before you were a twitch in your father’s pants.”

Paris smiled, opening his eyes to stare pointedly at his friend
. “
But you’ve been around a couple centuries longer than me and as
I recall,
you weren’t exactly destitute when we met.”

“That doesn’t mean I haven’t been. My wealth was built over time.
In my younger years, I did what I had to in order to scrap
e
by.
”

“And I applaud you for it, my friend
.
But there’s no shame in enjoying the wealth you have now.
” Paris closed the shutter next to him, blocking out the sunlight.
“I think I’ll take advantage of this plane ride and get some rest.” He close
d
his eyes then signaling the conversation was over.

Dante slipped out of his chair and took the seat next to Isis
on the couch that faced the row of seats
.
A sensation of warmth shot through her body
.
Dante Grimaldi had this effect on her whenever he was in her general vicinity
.

Being tall herself, she liked that he had her by at least five or six inches
.
Dante was all solid, rock-hard muscle, possessing
a masculine beauty that
would garner him, second, third
and fourth
looks. Isis couldn’t pinpoint a feature she favored on him the most
,
from his
cobalt-colored eyes, straight, patrician nose, and full, sensually curved lips, just right for kissing. Carnal images of
him pressing those lips over every inch of her skin, infiltrated her mind and made her body heat elevate.

Sure his looks were extraordinary, but it wasn’t simply his physical countenance that attracted her. He loved his family. From their previous conversations
,
it was clear to Isis he would do anything for them. He was the kind of man who loved hard and would do whatever it took to protect the ones he cared for. There was also a hint of danger about him that excited her.

He was the total package, and the more time she spent with him, the harder and deeper in love with him Isis fell.

She’d suspected her feelings for him
when they’d met at Paris’s house. But now
,
she was sure of them
.
Isis was almost certain he felt something
f
or her to. There was a spark each time they touch
ed
, a particular look when their gazes met. Unfortunately, their current situation didn’t allow time to explore these feelings,
but
she wouldn’t
ignore the opportunity
if one arose
.

“Isis?”

She jumped in her seat, startled back to reality. She’d been so lost in thought she hadn’t realized Dante was speaking. “I’m sorry. What were you saying?”

He smiled wide enough to reveal perfect white teeth
. “Can I go
,
too?”

She released a nervous titter
. “What are you talking about?”

“Wherever you were just now
. Do you want to talk about it?”

“Oh, I
was just admiring my surroundings
. It must be nice to travel this way.” As explanations went, it was a pretty
flimsy
one, but
she didn’t think he was ready to discuss what she’d really been thinking.

“I find it hard to believe you haven’t traveled this way before.”

“It’s the truth.
I’ve flown before, of course
,
but my flights have always been commercial. The last time I was on a plane, I was stuck between a screaming toddler and a man who used my shoulder as a headrest while he snored in my ear. You know how sensitive a shifter’s hearing is. I was in agony.”

Dante laughed softly. “
That’s a pity.
Hopefully, this trip will be more pleasant for you.”

“
It already is.” She locked her gaze with his to let him know it wasn’t just the plane ride that interested her.

Dante raised a brow but his smile didn’t waver
“
When we met the last time, I didn’t make the connections when you said your mother hailed from Pack Khan. I was once acquainted with the Alpha before he and his pack went into seclusion. I haven’t heard from them in years but from what I saw, they were a pack of means.”

“Yes.
The Alpha is my grandfather but, since he didn’t approve of the match between my parents, I wasn’t welcome among them.”

“
My
apologies. I didn’t realize they’d shunned you as well.”

Isis released a deep sigh of regret. “As far as they’re concerned, my mother died when she chose my father over the wishes of her Alpha. From what I was told, my grandfather wanted her to mate with
his brother
. It
was
disappointing they wish
ed
to maintain their stance even though both my parents are gone, but I’ve had years to reconcile with the fact.”

Dante placed his hand over hers and gave it a squeeze. Her skin tingled beneath his touch. “I admire how you’ve managed to not turn savage as most lone wolves do.”

She bit her bottom lip. Isis might not be completely savage, but she’d certainly done things that could be classified as such. “It wasn’t
always
easy.
” Realizing this conversation could quickly turn into a direction she didn’t want to go, Isis quickly changed the subject.
“
Enough about me. What do you plan on doing once the children have been found?”

He hunched his shoulders in a brief shrug. “
Our plans thus far simply involve getting them back
.
Of course
,
once we’ve ensured their safety and they’re out of harm’s way
, I plan to personally get rid of every single member of the Serpent Gang. They may not be the masterminds behind this plan, but they made the mistake of getting involved. The very fact they hold my nieces and nephews hostage is reason enough for me to kill them. W
hen I’m finished with them, I'
ll hunt down Adonis and gut him.”

She frowned. The name sounded so familiar. “Adonis?”

“
Il Demonio
.
Apparently,
the vampire behind many of my family’s misfortunes is none other than my own brother.”

“I’m not sure I follow.
Weren’t all your brothers with us back at your penthouse?
”

“
I’m sorry. I forgot you probably aren’t aware of all the details. We recently learned Adonis is our brother and there’s another, Giovanni, but I’m not sure where he stands in this debacle. What’s certain is they’ve both been nuisances over the years and we mean to finally put an end to it.”

Isis noticed
Dante hadn’t moved his hand away from hers, so
she returned the squeeze he’d given her earlier. That he was willing to share such intimate details of his life with her showed Isis he viewed her as someone he could confide in.
She felt closer to him because of it.
“How did you find this out?”

“For years
,
I’ve been chasing the vampire I believe murdered my parents and all I could come up with was the name
Il Diavolo
.”

“I thought you said the name was
Il Demonio
.”

“I did. Turns out, they were two different vampires. All these years
,
I believed we were after
Il Diavolo
, but he wasn’t the one. Recently, they both reveal
ed themselves to us. The one I’m positive
is the monster we should have been tracking is Adonis.
As much as I hate it,
I only have to look at him to see my papa. The coloring is different, but he is a Grimaldi.”

“And this other brother?” she probed gently.

“I felt the same connection
with him as well
. Even though they may be my brothers,
I
will
destroy them both for their involvement in this
.”

“Was it a difficult decision to make?
”

“Not really. We may share a bloodline, but Marco, Nico, and Ro
meo
will always come first. They are the ones who matter to me.”

If he was willing to
kill
a blood relation, she was sure he’d have no problem annihilating the Serpent Gang or everyone who was or had ever been associated with
the
m
. A chill ran down her spine. Dante didn’t seem kindly disposed to anyone who’d had dealings with rogues and that meant her. What would he say if she were to tell him the truth now? Unable to deal with the guilt that slammed into her like a ton of bricks, she snatched her hand away from his. “Um, I need to go to the lavatory.”

She hopped out of her seat and she rushed to the back, not stopping until she was safely in the bathroom. For a moment, just one brief point in time, she might have been able to tell him of her association with the rogue vampire gang in hopes he’d understand, but the adamant way in which he claimed vengeance told her otherwise. No matter what, she’d have to keep her secret and pray no one exposed her.

Isis turned on the faucet and splashed water against her face to calm down. As she patted her skin dry with one of the fluffy hand towels hanging on the wall, a knock on the door shattered her peace. She was taken by surprise to see Dante standing on the other side of the door, concern etched on his face.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, of course. I guess I’m a little nervous about what’s ahead of us.”

That penetrating cobalt gaze of his roamed her face, seeming to see all the secrets she desperately tried to keep locked
away
. “I imagine we all are. This is your first mission with us, so I know how things can be a bit daunting at first.”

Somehow she managed
to smile
, hating herself for lying to him. “I’m sure I’ll be fine once we land.”

“Probably.” He cupped her chin and ran a thumb along the side of her face. “Not that I’d allow anything to happen to you.”

“You almost sound like you mean it.”

“I do. We’ve been skirting around the issue since you showed up at my penthouse, but there’s something happening between us, isn’t there?”

Isis caught her bottom lip between her teeth to hold back the emphatic yes she wanted to shout. Unable to trust herself to speak,
she
nodded.

“Do you have any idea what it’s done to me to be so close to you without being able to touch you?”

“I have a pretty good idea.”

He raised a dark brow. “You never said anything.”

“Neither did you. I didn’t want you to think I was stalking you. I mean, I felt a connection when we met right away, but I
didn’t want to assume you felt the same, although I’d hoped that you did
.”

“I did, but it didn’t seem appropriate to bring it up. My head was in a weird place. Even now
,
I wonder about the timing of all this. My family is facing the biggest crisis we’ve ever dealt with and I can’t stop thinking about you. I feel I don’t have a right to experience these emotions when there’s so much going on around me, but I don’t think I can go another second without tasting you.”

Before Isis could respond to his passionate entreaty, his lips were on hers, pressing forcefully, urging her lips to part with an insistent, questing tongue.
Isis had wondered what their kiss would have been like had they not been interrupted, but her imagination couldn’t have prepared her for
the
intensity of his mouth on hers. Thi
s
kiss
was more powerful, needier, and more fervent
than she could have possibly dreamed of
.

Shots of pure
desire
spread along every single nerve ending of her body, threatening to explode in
to a blazing
inferno. Isis had never wanted anyone as much as she did this man. Twining her arms around his neck, she pressed her body against his and opened her mouth to grant him the access he sought, wanting to be as close to him as she possibly could.